Elvis got to distance himself from the worn-out commercial decisions imposed by Colonel Parker and dig deep into meaningful material of his own choosing, capturing some of the earlier TV specials spontaneous sense of fun and inventiveness with spirited and unpredictable arrangements and performances, including a great rhythm section and backup singing that blows his mainstays, the often-stiff Jordanaires, out of the water. 54. Elvis Presley 23 Studio albums, 8 Live albums, 13 Compilation albums, 29 EPs, 18 Soundtrack albums, 30 Box sets, 115 Posthumous compilations, and 11 Remix albums. An essential gateway to his late period, indulgences and all. According to Forbes' list of top earning dead stars, he earned $27m (21m) in 2016 and sold one million albums. Elvis did not sell 1 billion records by 1982, which claim first appeared via an article in the 'Washington Post' dated 12 July of that year and quoted RCA as its source. 40. However, we get Elvis tearing eagerly into Youve Lost That Lovin Feeling and Bridge Over Troubled Water. The studio tracks tend to be sluggish and overwrought, with lyrics about tasting the icing on the cake weve been baking with the past, on The Next Step Is Love. As tragic songs about cake go, its no MacArthur Park.. Love Letters From Elvis (1971) Why not get three albums for the price of two? Three Grammys were given to Presley, and at the age of 36, he was given the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. The contents, sadly, aren't nearly as soul . Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966) Elvis plays a rugged chopper pilot in this, his third Hawaiian movie, and again he cranked out a soundtrack with his regular studio gang and stable of songwriters. Elvis Presley recorded 18 albums from 1956 through 1977. 14. And who you can expect to see performing and presenting. "Christmas with Elvis" reached number 1 on the Billboard Classical Albums and the Billboard Classical Crossover Albums charts. Elvis (1973) This ones known as The Fool Album among Elvis cognoscenti, because a superior record called Elvis had already come out in 56 and also because this leads off with the self-flagellating Fool. (Elvis calls himself a fool again on the next song, and not a wise man on the third.) Again there may be some genuine lost sales here, because of incomplete returns to RCA, but I think we can ignore them. David Bowie's handwritten lyrics set to sell for 70,000 at auction. 44. As live/studio (2) or an single issues ,the physical sales of EACH justRead more . All told, there is less than 20% of his albums for which we do own that key sales indicator, and for most of them the number is outdated. When I wrote my original article over a decade ago it was not without a degree of trepidation. The recent international sales of 'Where No One Stands Alone' may be the first gospel album to suggest that this may no longer be the case. Singer Presents Elvis Singing Flaming Star and Others (1968) This budget-priced compilation mostly consists of unreleased soundtrack recordings from the 60s, aside from a version of Chuck Berrys Too Much Monkey Business that was recorded as a warm-up and the sloppily energized Tiger Man, which is the most exciting thing here: a sneak peek of the upcoming comeback special. Its a rare Elvis album from the 60s that was recorded with the intention of forming a distinct record i.e., it wasnt yet another soundtrack. (1965) After several so-so soundtrack albums in a row, Elvis returns to non-movie-related music, mostly, with a strong album released in celebration of the artists ten years with RCA. On Stage (1970) Elviss second live album is mostly compiled from a few Vegas dates, collecting versions of hit songs associated with other people, like Neil Diamonds Sweet Caroline and Creedence Clearwater Revivals Proud Mary, and its fine though why not listen to Neil Diamond or CCR or the Beatles or Del Shannon or the Everly Brothers if you want to hear these songs? No less than a staggering 30 or so major independent labels operating in the mail order sphere, have been involved at one time or, not to mention untold numbers of smaller scale regional enterprises. How can you sensibly compare a group of people to one especially when their music is as different as chalk and cheese? Pot Luck With Elvis (1962) Given the album title, this is predictably uneven. As a reminder, Soundscan is the process which scans every sale at retailers since the start of 1991. 33. And the picture is truly global. })(); Best selling artists, albums and singles of all-time. And since . Promised Land (1975) A 40th-birthday gift from E: the release of a second batch of songs from the same Stax sessions that wrought the middling Good Times, though Chuck Berrys title track opens this album with more energy than its predecessor (even if there are too many words for the singer to enunciate). Hurt is the open wound that gets this off to an epically melodramatic start and, at its best, ragged interpretations of songs like Danny Boy and Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain keep the album compellingly bottomed-out. 36. Moody Blue (1977) Unable to get a full studio set out of Elvis, RCA settled for this combination of tracks recorded at Graceland and live versions of never-released songs from his final concerts, including his legendarily decrepit but moving version of Unchained Melody (which youre better off watching on YouTube). Such a requirement can obviously be that much more, if any third parties with little or no interest in the subject are involved in the process. It seems that pretty well everybody in the business used to exaggerate the achievements of their clients if only because everyone else was doing the same. The exception to the picture I have painted is Elvis' gospel music, which for many decades has found particular favour with the strong Christian movement in the States. Fun in Acapulco (1963) Presley plays another romantically persistent boat worker in this movie, and we get another soundtrack of Elvis exotica. This is his big show, with the addition of a Honolulu orchestra, opening with the 2001: A Space Odyssey theme and an elaborate version of See See Rider, and continuing with a mix of early successes, new hits like Burning Love, concert staples (My Way and Im So Lonesome I Could Cry) that hadnt yet appeared on an Elvis record, and other popular covers. Although the songs are mainly two or three minutes long, they feel like theyre taking their time without ever lagging, and the straight country material like Im Movin On benefits from elaborately funky interjections. How Great Thou Art (1967) Elvis liked to sing gospel as a means of relaxation between other nagging showbiz responsibilities, and How Great Thou Art was his second album of songs dedicated to, as one track here puts it, Somebody Bigger Than You and I. Finally, the singer got to perform music he cared about after years of churning out prefab soundtracks, and the results are more diverse and satisfying than his first gospel record, His Hand in Mine. The 'parade' footage is good to see as it puts you in the right context with color and b&w footage. In the studio, he makes the most of Percy Mayfields alienation on Stranger in My Own Home Town and a soft wet kiss from Neil Diamond on And the Grass Wont Pay No Mind. The live set is more fiery, starting with breakneck versions of classics like Johnny B. Goode and Blue Suede Shoes interspersed with the Kings laughter and self-mocking banter: He calls himself bigger now (size-wise). That is 33% of $3.98 (1956-1970, 1970-1974 an LP was $4.98). Elvis plays an Army man meeting his lookalike cousin and a couple of sexy relatives for the first time in rural Tennessee, set to discomfiting songs about polygamy (One Boy, Two Little Girls) and smooching technique. RCA permitted a large number of them through various licensing deals from the 70s to the 00s. Elvis has sold more albums then any other singer or group in the history of music. According to Elvis records, more than one billion records have been sold around the world, making him the most popular artist ever. The albums strong B side starts with the chilling Its Midnight, then makes a touching mantra of Your Loves Been a Long Time Coming. Promised Land is one of his better mid-70s records, though its laden with a pair of duds in Elviss plea to Mr. The RIAA certify all sales of a disc including re-releases, whether or not there has been a change in the catalogue number, provided the inclusion of any additional tracks, does not bring the total to more than 17. Elvis Presley: The Searcher (The Original Soundtrack) is available for pre-order now: CD: https://Elvis.lnk.to/TheSearcher_StandardPR/amazon My original investigations revealed that Elvis was by some distance the greatest record seller of all time and ten years on it is that much easier to make a case for the claim that he has sold over a billion copies of his records. Breaking down the contenders in the seasons most unpredictable Oscar race. All rights reserved. On Scratch My Back, Elvis coaxes his lover to get rid of our itch together, and Queenie Wahines Papaya turns the soothing fruit into an aggravating tongue-twister. gcse.async = true; Answer (1 of 2): Seriously. how many albums did elvis sell. Then, of course, there is Music Clubs, which used to be a significant actor of the music industry during the 90s and that is out of Soundscans panel. Until Now! Elvis Presley Discography: Check Out The List of Elvis Presley Albums in Order of Release Here! Elvis' Christmas Album - Wikipedia More recent and better-documented data adds even more grist to the mill and demonstrates that the picture with Presley records was and is indeed very much in keeping with market trends. I Got Lucky (1971) These are the rest of the songs from the four 60s Elvis movies without soundtrack LPs that had been previously compiled on Cmon Everybody. How many albums did Elvis record? - Answers 2023 Vox Media, LLC. + Plus Bonus DVD Audio. Guinness World Records recognizes him as the best-selling solo artist in the world, selling up to 1 billion records globally. Girl Happy(1965) Elvis was so embarrassed by most of this soundtrack to his spring-break fantasy flick that he asked for his vocals to be lower in the mix on the exuberant title track. How many studio albums did Elvis make? - Sage-Answer The List of Elvis Presley Albums in Order of Release Elvis has sold over 2.5 Billion Records Worldwide. All 57 Elvis Presley Albums Ranked, From Worst to Best - Vulture Listen to that yearning, playful, courting voice cut through gorgeously on songs like Tryin to Get to You and youll understand what John Lennon meant when he said Elvis was bigger than religion in my life .. ( A Billion is 1 Thousand Million). When he croons, My eyes may grow dim, on I Believe in the Man in the Sky, youll believe him. From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis (1969) This could have been more understandably named From Nothing to Something, considering the full renovation of Elvis in the period following his 1968 comeback. The string of soundtracks he released in the 60s (largely at the behest of his exploitative manager Colonel Tom Parker) give the termformulaicas bulletproof a definition as anything in algebra, and consist of his shoddiest material. Did Elvis record a gospel album? The interviews of Elvis' Parents are well worth hearing too. How many records has Elvis actually sold? Elvis Costello discography - Wikipedia Music industry One step closer to being accurate. 52. Good Times (1974) Okay times. How much money did Colonel Parker make off Elvis? 43. Historical consequence aside, the music is a dynamite convergence of older Sun and newer RCA recordings, which served to feed the growing nationwide Elvis bedlam, and its equally perfect as a showcase for the thrusting dancer of Blue Suede Shoes as it is for the sensitive crooner experimenting in nocturnal melancholy at its hypnotic best on the ethereal Blue Moon and I Love You Because. At the same time, the desperate Ill Never Let You Go (Little Darlin) and Money Honey reveal an essential dangerous-rebel aspect to his appeal. Elvis released his first album in 1956, and continued to put out records until his death in 1977. How Tyrel Jackson Williams Brought TikTok Cringe to, Its sort of a newer version of the L.A. actor ride that Kyle is on the first two seasons, but its worse.. On Stage opens with the zippy take on blues standard C.C. From Memphis to Vegas / From Vegas to Memphis, Elvis sings The Wonderful World of Christmas, From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee, Im Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You), (Therell Be) Peace in the Valley (For Me), Ill Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms), 11. The title track tries to explain how to get your best girl excited on the drag strip and, despite the occasional genuine revving sound, never fully turns over. A dash of then-trendy bossa nova is sped up and rendered unintelligible for the lead single, and Elvis sings that (Theres) No Room to Rhumba in a Sports Car, which encapsulates the stilted rhythms here, incongruously imported from Brazil and Cuba, despite the fact that the film is set in Mexico. var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; The outlets simply sent in awards for their biggest Elvis hit album by way of a gold or platinum disc. It was pretty much the same with 'Don't Cry Daddy'. The newly written title track, released as the single, is lyrically unique as a fairly detailed rundown of Elviss musical upbringing, but doesnt especially rock. The title track on Moody Blue is a would-be camp classic from Mark James, who also wrote Suspicious Minds, and the live half has a couple of enjoyably bouncy countrified versions of Olivia Newton-John hits in If You Love Me (Let Me Know) and Let Me Be There, as well as a goofy take on the doo-wop classic Little Darlin. Of the final studio cuts from October 76, Way Down is an up, and Pledging My Love is a strong-enough musical declaration. In the case of Elvis other indicators include: # Those singles which were NEVER released in the States, but were huge hits in a wide range of countries overseas, including, amongst others, 'A Mess of Blues' (1960), 'Wooden Heart' (1961), 'I Just Can't Help Believing' (1971) and 'The Girl of My Best Friend' (1976). Bing Crosby's disc sales, were once upon a time, estimated by his record company on the basis of a somewhat quirky analysis of his sheet music sales and those of the Beatles were, for years, inflated on the rather quixotic grounds that the sale of each one of their albums should be considered as equivalent to six singles. Sales of such albums as 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' (2002), 'If I Can Dream' ( 2015 ), 'The Wonder of You' (2016), 'Christmas with the RPO' (2017) and just recently 'Where No One Stands Alone' (2018) all underline my point. This is the third album recovered from the epic 1970 sessions that produced the competent light-country of Thats the Way It Is and Elvis Country its also the rejects. The contents, sadly, arent nearly as soul-wrenching. How many records has Elvis Presley? The sole non-soundtrack inclusion here, a song Elvis wrote with a pair of buddies called Youll Be Gone, has melodramatic Spanish flavor leading to an operatic crescendo a trick Elvis had mastered and deployed repeatedly by the mid-60s. The title song conjures mysterious Western astrology, and Night Life introduces some of the urbane shine of Viva Las Vegas. Elvis Presley's Top 50 bestselling songs - Official Charts Company All Rights Reserved. Elvis As Recorded at Madison Square Garden (1972) Taken from one show during his only set of New York concert appearances (hed performed on TV in the city during the 50s), then released in a hurry, this transports Elviss early-70s Vegas show to a much bigger venue, with enormous orchestral flourishes (accompanied by a backing band of New York jazzers), and the usual mix of Elvis-identified songs and songs that were hits for others like Three Dog Night and the Righteous Brothers. Frankie and Johnny (1966) Elvis was so fed up with the soundtrack recording process at this point in his career that he threw a tantrum in the studio and had to record his vocals separately from the musicians. Cotton Candy Land repositions Mr. Sandmans dream as a terrifying sugar high, and the saccharine How Would You Like to Be? is sung to a kid in the film to placate her, but frazzles every other listener; Happy Ending is another unhappy event. Blue Hawaii (1961) The second-most commercially successful LP of the 60s (behind only the soundtrack to West Side Story) is this iconic soundtrack, which comes as close to having a unifying concept as Elvis ever got, Christmas and Christ excepted. Loving You (1957) The mainly zippy soundtrack to Elviss first starring role (including a whole side of recent non-soundtrack cuts) transforms Elviss singing delivery man into something nicely cuddly on the albums best known and biggest hit, (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear, with a mean woman getting him good and hot on the scorching opener Mean Woman Blues. The loping drama of the Western number Lonesome Cowboy is a highlight, and theres a solid take on Blueberry Hill and a couple of sweet Cole Porter and Ivory Joe Hunter ballads. I Got a Feelin in My Body is especially okay church-revival funk, and lots of swelling gospel-group vocals and string arrangements get busy throughout this Stax Studiorecorded batch. 2. (function() { Sales in the year following Elvis' death may still account for more than one in five of the total. So whether RCA simply looked at the total sales figures up to that point, current sales, or probably both, the conclusions reached may have been the same. 29. Nevertheless there is still sufficient, if largely circumstantial evidence available, to enable a researcher to arrive at some sort of ballpark figure. Elvis Presley Album Sales Statistics - Statistic Brain King Creole (1958) Elviss favorite movie role was as the new star of the King Creole nightclub, and the accompanying soundtrack album was also something strong. (1962) Poor Elvis doesnt get to finish his sandwich because, as he tells us on the title track, hes too busy desiring something small and sassy, which might make for a realistic glimpse of his inner state, but not quite a recording for all-time, and neither is this soundtrack to Elviss second Hawaiian flick. Elvis Presley was included in the History Channel's 10 Days that Unexpectedly Changed America video, and I believe that his effect on race relations and popular . Elvis wasn't just the King of Rock 'n' Roll. Sumners lower-than-the-lowest-piano-note bass vocal leading off Why Me Lord? followed by a sensational How Great Thou Art. The album starts off strong with a dynamic I Got a Woman and a belted-out reworking of the Sun-era sex quest Tryin to Get to You, then closes with another pair of galloping 50s classics and the familiar Blue Hawaii charmer Cant Help Falling in Love. Its no comeback special, but this is still some choice live Elvis. The Elvis Presley: The Searcher (The Original Soundtrack) deluxe 3CD set includes a 40-page hardcover book featuring rare photography, liner notes by Warren Zanes, and a director's note by Thom Zimny.